Best Holiday Drinks For A Crowd

6 Delicious Holiday Drink Recipes That Require Minimal Effort

If you're planning on having a bunch of people over for an epic holiday bash, you should be ready with a drink large enough to make sure everybody's cups are topped up. But making a giant bowl of holiday punch or mulled cider can seem a little daunting and time intensive. As it turns out, making your own large scale holiday refreshment doesn't have to be complicated. Below, you'll find 6 basic but highly effective and delicious holiday drinks that won't take too much of your time.

Eggnog Supreme

The easiest way to get away with making eggnog is to buy it ready made and flavor it yourself later. Yes, it's the easy way out. And yes, it's not going to live up to the real thing (whipping egg whites, cream etc.). But it will do in a pinch and won't suck up your evening.

We recommend a dark rum to kick things up a notch - 1 to 1 1/2 shots to each serving (about 12 oz). Serve with a cinnamon stick and a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or nutmeg. Since this is a pretty low key way to prepare a drink, spend a little more time on the presentation.

Hot Toddy

It doesn't take a lot to put together a great tasting hot toddy. A hot toddy is a sweetened hot drink with the addition of whiskey, rum or brandy. It's delicious, effective, and is very easy to make.

For one serving (multiply, depending on how many you want to make), you need 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and a shot of bourbon. Top it off with about 3 liquid ounces of boiling water. Serve with lemon rind.

Crock-Pot Apple Punch

Pro-tip: A slow cooker is the perfect vessel for heating up and keeping warm a hot drink, such as a spiced cider. Fill it with one or two jugs (1/2 gallon) of unfiltered apple cider. Spice things up by poking cloves into pieces of orange rinds. Add slices of fresh apples, oranges, lemons and pears. Spice with 3-4 sticks of cinnamon, and a couple cardamom pods.

Mulled Wine

It's time to reach for the cheapest boxed red wine you can find at the store. If you're feeling adventurous, go for a gallon. Add it to a crockpot, or a large pot, and bring it up to a light simmer. Add 10 cloves poked into the rinds of two oranges to it, along with slices of apple, lemons, and whole oranges. 3-4 cinnamon sticks and a couple whole star anise are also great additions. The best thing to do is do the whole thing to taste. Have a slurp here and there, and adjust volumes of spices and fruits accordingly.

Holiday Citrus Punch

This recipe comes to you straight from Martha Stewart. This crowd friendly punch will not only impress your guests with sweet and balanced flavors, it will get them tipsy pretty quickly, too (Martha Stewart style)! Serves eight people.